Brewing royalty

A statue of King Gambrinus stands in a small park on S. Front Street in the Brewery District. So who is King Gambrinus and what's he doing here in Columbus?

Well, according to the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th edition (available through the Columbus Metropolitan Library), Gambrinus was "a mythical Flemish king, to whom the invention of beer is attributed. He is represented in modern folk art as straddling a keg." A fitting icon for a brewery, don't you think?

In 1905 the Gambrinus Brewery was built here in Columbus. August Wagner led the construction effort and then went on to run the brewery as president and general manager. By 1919 Wagner had acquired all the stock in the brewery and renamed it August Wagner & Sons Brewing Co. Following the death of his last remaining son, Wagner renamed the brewery August Wagner Breweries, Inc. - a name that stood until the brewery finally shut down in 1974.

A statue of King Gambrinus graced the front of the brewery for many years. August Wagner is credited as the model for this particular statue. The photo above shows the statue in an earlier time. The photo below shows the brewery in its final days. You can see King Gambrinus above the front entrance.

FILE PHOTO

Following the closure of the brewery the property was acquired by the Dispatch Printing Co. and the brewery was demolished. (The Dispatch used the site for vehicle maintenance and storage.) But King Gambrinus was saved and eventually made his way back to S. Front St. - a colorful bit of Columbus history as you can see from the photo below.